The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

After nearly five years of offering “no late fees” to its ever-dwindling customer base, Blockbuster announced this week that it’s feeling a little nostalgic for the days it actually made money and is bringing back those good ol’ late fees.

Blockbuster will charge $1 for up to 10 days for late returns, with a max fee of $10 on $4.99 new releases. Additionally, they’ve cut the rental period on new releases from seven days down to five.

This news comes as Blockbuster shared some grim financial news with the world. In the fourth quarter of 2009 alone, the company lost $435 million, blaming their continuing slide on competition from companies like Netflix.